Rudbeckia plant named ‘ET-RDB 03’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Rudbeckia  plant named ‘ET-RDB 03’, characterized by its compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; relatively small leaves; freely flowering habit; single-type inflorescences with dark reddish bronze-colored ray florets and dark purple-colored disc florets positioned above the foliar plane on strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Rudbeckia hirtaxEchinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ET-RDB 03’.

CROSS REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Rudbeckia Plant Named ‘ET-RDB 01’

Applicant: Bart Noordhuis

U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/815,479.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia plant, botanically known as Rudbeckia hirta×Echinacea purpurea and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘ET-RDB 03’.

The new Rudbeckia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Boijl, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Rudbeckia plants with small leaves and attractive long-lasting inflorescences.

The new Rudbeckia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Boijl, The Netherlands in 2010 of a proprietary selection of Rudbeckia hirta identified as code number 91-434, not patented, as the female, or seed parent with a proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea identified as code number 45-106, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Rudbeckia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Boijl, The Netherlands in 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Rudbeckia by tissue culture in a controlled greenhouse environment in Boijl, The Netherlands since 2011 has shown that the unique features of this new Rudbeckia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Rudbeckia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘ET-RDB 03’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘ET-RDB 03’ as a new and distinct Rudbeckia plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright to outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Relatively small leaves.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Single-type inflorescences with dark reddish bronze-colored         ray florets and dark purple-colored disc florets positioned         above the foliar plane on strong peduncles.     -   6. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more compact and denser than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Rudbeckia are longer         lasting than inflorescences of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more compact and denser than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Rudbeckia are longer         lasting than inflorescences of plants of the male parent         selection.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia can be compared to Rudbeckia hirta×Echinacea purpurea ‘ET-RDB 01’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13/815,479. Plants of the new Rudbeckia differ primarily from plants of ‘ET-RDB 01’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia are more compact than plants of         ‘ET-RDB 01’.     -   2. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have shorter lateral branches         with shorter internodes than plants of ‘ET-RDB 01’.     -   3. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have shorter leaves than plants         of ‘ET-RDB 01’.     -   4. Plants of the new Rudbeckia have smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘ET-RDB 01’.     -   5. Plants of the new Rudbeckia and ‘ET-RDB 01’ differ in ray         floret color.

Plants of the new Rudbeckia can also be compared to plants of Rudbeckia ‘Berlijn’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Boijl, The Netherlands, plants of the new Rudbeckia differed from plants of ‘Berlijn’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Rudbeckia were more compact than plants of         ‘Berlijn’.     -   2. Plants of the new Rudbeckia had smaller leaves than plants of         ‘Berlijn’.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Rudbeckia were longer         lasting than inflorescences of plants of ‘Berlijn’.     -   4. Plants of the new Rudbeckia had shorter and stronger         peduncles than plants of ‘Berlijn’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Rudbeckia showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Rudbeckia.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘ET-RDB 03’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘ET-RDB 03’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in containers during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Boijl, The Netherlands and under cultural conditions typical of commercial Rudbeckia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 16° C. and night temperatures averaged 10° C. Plants were 15 weeks old when the photographs and the detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Rudbeckia hirta×Echinacea purpurea ‘ET-RDB     03’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Rudbeckia             hirta identified as code number 91-434, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Echinacea             purpurea identified as code number 45-106, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About seven to eight days at             temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plants.—About four weeks at             temperatures about 15° C. to 20° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness; fleshy; color, close             to 162C.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; compact,             upright to outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit;             strong and freely branching growth habit with about numerous             lateral branches, dense and bushy appearance; vigorous             growth habit; medium growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm to 40 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 30 cm to 40 cm.         -   Lateral branches (flowering stems).—Length: About 10 cm to             20 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Internode length: About             1 cm to 2.5 cm. Angle: Upright to outwardly spreading.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate or opposite, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 8 cm to 15 cm.         -   Width.—About 2 cm to 4 cm.         -   Shape.—Oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate to acute.         -   Margin.—Dentate; undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 142C. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A; venation,             close to 142C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Type and arrangement.—Single-type inflorescence form with             elliptic-shaped ray florets and tubular disc florets;             inflorescences borne on terminal and axillary peduncles             above and beyond the foliar plane; ray and disc florets             arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten weeks             after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             continuously from mid-July until the end of October in The             Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Good postproduction longevity with             inflorescences lasting about eight to ten weeks on the             plant; inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit,             typically more than 50 inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Diameter:             About 1 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 142C.         -   Inflorescences.—Diameter: About 6 cm to 10 cm. Depth             (height): About 3 cm to 4 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1 cm             to 2.5 cm. Receptacle height: About 1 cm to 2 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 7 mm to 12 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             13 to 15 arranged in a single whorl. Length: About 2.5 cm to             4.5 cm. Width: About 5 mm to 10 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex:             Emarginate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Rough,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 12A.             When opening, lower surface: Close to 1A. Fully opened,             upper surface: Ground color, close to 13A; towards the apex,             overlain with close to 182B; towards the base, overlain with             close to 185A; venation, similar to lamina colors; with             development becoming closer to 182B. Fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 1A overlain with close to 151C; venation,             similar to lamina colors.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Numerous disc florets massed at             center of receptacle. Length: About 2 cm to 3 cm. Width:             About 1 mm to 2 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex:             Five-pointed. Color, immature: Close to N186A. Color,             mature: Close to N186A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 20             to 30 in about three whorls. Length: About 1 cm to 2.5 cm.             Width: About 2 mm to 5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Fused. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Rough, pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 143A. Color, lower surface: Close to 143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on ray and disc             florets): Quantity per floret: Numerous. Filament length:             About 1 mm to 2 mm. Filament color: Close to N186A. Anther             shape: Round. Anther length: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Anther             color: Close to N186A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen             color: Close to 200B. Gynoecium (present only on disc             florets): Pistil length: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Stigma shape:             Two-parted. Stigma color: Close to 200B. Style length: About             1 mm to 2 mm. Style color: Close to 200B.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production has not been             observed on plants of the new Rudbeckia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Rudbeckia plants has not been observed on plants of the new     Rudbeckia. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Rudbeckia have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures from about −20° C. to about 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Rudbeckia plant named ‘ET-RDB 03’ as illustrated and described. 